3 io 



Government to encourage the cultivation of this product, this ques- 

 tion is, I think, worthy of special attention. 



Coconuts and 8. Coconuts are particularly adapted to the conditions obtaining 

 other plants j n t ] ie Native States. These and other oil-producing plants, medi- 



of economical , , , , 1 , • y L , , 



va]ue cinal plants, pepper, nutmegs, camphor, and, in short, any plant 



of economic value which is likely to succeed here, will form part of 



the collection, and when sufficient stock has been obtained will be 



planted out, and observations as to the best method of cultivation 



and probable return per acre will be made. 



So far as I can judge, the work indicated above will, if properly 



carried out, meet to a large extent the requirements of the planters 



of these States. 



I have, etc., 



STANLEY ARDEX, 



Supt., Experimental Plantations. 

 The Secretary to the Resident-General, F.M.S. 



Appendix C. 



2nd December, igoi, 



Conditions 

 under which 

 the trees were 

 growing. 



Age and 

 dimensions 



Distance 

 between the 

 trees. 



Sir, — I have the honour to inform you that I visited S'tiawan (Perak) 

 in June last, with the object of conducting some experiments on 

 the production and coagulation of the latex of Hcvea brazil iensis, 

 which furnishes the " Para" rubber of commerce. These experi- 

 ments being as yet incomplete, I do not intend in this report to go 

 into details, but merely to give a summary of the work carried out 

 there. 



2. The trees utilised for these experiments were chiefly the 

 property of the natives and had been much neglected. I he soil, 

 which was dry and sandy and wanting in the necessary constituents 

 of plant life, was in places densely covered with " lalang " — Impe- 

 rata cylindrica, a vigorous grass which chokes out nearly all other 

 vegetation. These conditions had evidently affected the growth 

 of the younger trees, for I have measured 3~to4-year-old trees in 

 other parts of the Native States whose circumference was equal to 

 that of trees growing at S'tiawan which were twice the age. 



3. The trees ranged from 7 to 10 years old. The approximate 

 height of the 7-year-old trees was 40 to 45 ft. and the average girth 

 2 ft. 6 in. measured at 3 ft. from the base. The height of the to- 

 year-old trees was 55 to 60 ft., the circumference taken at a yard 

 from the base ranging from 3 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft., the average being 

 about 4 ft. 



The trees had been planted irregularly, but it was noticed that 

 some 9-year-old trees, planted 36 ft. apart, were touching each 

 other at the tops. There is a tendency to plant trees much closer 

 than this, and I mention this fact to show what amount of space 

 this tree will occupy if allowed room to develope itself. 



